


Leftovers

by caramelariana



Series: A Very Drarry Christmas [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-03
Updated: 2015-01-03
Packaged: 2018-03-05 04:45:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3106517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caramelariana/pseuds/caramelariana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry educates Draco on the concept of charity. (Part of A Very Drarry Christmas, but can stand alone)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Leftovers

**Author's Note:**

> So I know it's a bit past Christmas, but I wanted to get these uploaded while it was still technically the Christmas season. This series was originally posted in 2011 on ff.net, and I wanted to export it to AO3 while it still made sense to post a Christmas fic!

A pop sounded in the night air as Harry Potter apparated into the town of Wetherly. He recovered quickly and straightened his jumper. The air was seasonably warm for December. Though the weather made it feel less like the holidays, Harry had a new appreciation for it after volunteering at the homeless shelter. No one would die of hypothermia tonight.

With a smile he headed toward The Moose Café. He mentally prepared himself to meet his date, who would no doubt be traumatized from his own walk to the restaurant. Wetherly was a lower income community, and it was not uncommon to be approached for spare change. Harry had debated submitting the small town to the pompousness that was Draco Malfoy, but he had been craving a bowl of broccoli cheddar and The Moose Café made the best.

The bell above the door dinged as he entered the warm restaurant. A friendly redhead greeted him with a smile. “Good evening, sir. Table for one?”

Harry nodded his greeting. “Actually, I’m supposed to be meeting someone. He’s about my height, blond hair, a bit of a snob…”

The hostess laughed. “You mean the well-dressed bloke? I can lead you right to him.” She lowered her voice as she motioned for Harry to follow her. “He’s created quite a stir in the kitchen. Bit of a fight over who’s going to serve him.” She giggled.

He shook his head as he spotted the blond. He abruptly decided to not let Draco know about the fascination of the waitresses. The git was insufferable as it was.

“It’s about time, Potter,” was Draco’s greeting as they approached the table. “I was beginning to think you’d gotten lost.” He was cupping a steaming cup of what Harry knew would be hot cocoa. Draco liked to deny it, but it was one of his favorite beverages.

“Thank you,” he said to the hostess, ignoring Draco’s discontent at being kept waiting.

“Can I get you something to drink?”

He nodded. “Tea with honey, please.”

The hostess assured the two that their waitress would be right with them before going off to fetch his drink.

“All joking aside,” Draco began again. “What kept you?”

Harry sighed. “I had to help break up a fight right as I was leaving the shelter.”

At his explanation Draco raised an eyebrow. “A fight? What kind of shelter is this?”

Harry chuckled. “I was helping to serve dinner at a homeless shelter. Everyone is only supposed to get one plate, but someone tried to sneak in for seconds. Someone else noticed and caused a big uproar. They ended up getting into a fist fight.”

It seemed Draco didn’t know which part of the story to address first. “You served dinner at a homeless shelter?” he finally asked.

“Yes,” Harry answered as he took his tea from the returning hostess. “I signed up to volunteer for the holidays.”

“Why?”

“Because they get more volume around the holidays. It starts to get cold and people come in for a warm meal.”

Draco snorted. “You and your hero complex.”

Harry was saved from responding as their waitress approached. He watched with some amusement as the waitress attempted to flirt with Draco. After placing their orders the blond turned a glare on him.

“What are you grinning about?” he asked.

“The waitress was flirting with you, and you were completely oblivious.”

Draco took a sip from his cocoa. “I was not oblivious. I figured it would be improper to respond in any way seeing as I am on a date with you.”

Harry blinked. “Oh. That’s actually…really sweet.”

“Well, we can’t have the hero getting jealous.”

“Shut up,” Harry said. “I don’t have a hero complex. I just like helping people.”

Draco stared at him. “You do understand what the definition of a ‘hero complex’ is?”

Harry just rolled his eyes. “It’s not bad to want to help someone who probably hasn’t had a decent meal in months.”

“Help comes to those who help themselves.”

“I figured you would say something like that,” Harry said, taking another sip of his tea. He wasn’t angry at the blond; he knew Draco was raised in a completely different world than he had been.

To his credit, Draco had been trying. He had even stopped trading insults with Ron. It seemed tonight Harry would see more of that effort. “Enlighten me.”

Harry sighed. “You’re right that some people are on the streets because of choices they made. Others are there because they were placed in situations that they couldn’t control. The other day I met a woman that had been abused by her husband. After one night when he beat her in front of their two-year-old daughter, she took her and ran. She doesn’t have anyone to turn to and she’s been living at the shelter with her daughter for the past three months.”

Draco frowned. “That is unbelievable.”

“There are a lot of stories like that,” Harry continued. “Today I met a sixteen-year-old who was kicked out of his house when his parents found out he was gay.”

That story really struck a chord with Draco. He was silent as the waitress brought their dinners. This time when she tried to flirt, he grabbed Harry’s hand. The brunet had been rather surprised, but the waitress got the hint. Based on the look on her face though, Harry was willing to bet this would only cause more admiration in the kitchen.

Harry hummed in appreciation as he took in his first spoonful of broccoli cheddar. “I have been craving this all day!”

“Is that why you brought us to such a hole in the wall?” Draco asked, eyeing his surroundings distastefully.

Harry just nodded. “They make the absolute best broccoli cheddar.”

“I highly doubt that.”

“Taste it!” He filled his spoon and let it hover in front of Draco’s mouth.

“You do not honestly expect me to eat off of your spoon?” The spoon stayed where it was. With a sigh Draco leaned in and gracefully tried the soup. His eyes widened in surprise. “That is good.”

Harry smirked. “Told you.”

The rest of the meal was passed with pleasant conversation. It had taken a few months for the two of them to be comfortable with one another, but Harry was glad they’d finally arrived at that point. He took the interruptions by the waitresses in stride. He had apparently been correct in his previous assumption. Once the waitresses knew Draco was gay, it piqued their curiosity instead of discouraging them. The world was becoming an interesting place.

It was Draco’s turn to pick up the bill, though he complained that the cost of the meal hardly counted as an appropriate amount to pay. He and Harry got into a small argument about who would pay for the next meal, but Harry let Draco have it. After all, the one who wasn’t paying got to choose, and Harry could always pick another inexpensive restaurant.

Harry waited as Draco picked up his to-go box and marveled at the fact that Draco never finished his meal. They left the restaurant with echoes of goodbyes trailing after them. In a spell of bravery Harry placed his arm through Draco’s, pleased when he wasn’t rejected. They walked arm in arm in comfortable silence. “Are you coming over tonight?” Harry asked casually.

“If I must.” But the blond was smiling.

“Do you have any change?” a voice asked from the ground. They turned to see an older woman sitting against the wall. She was huddled into her jacket.

Harry shook his head. He truly felt for her and her situation, but he was not comfortable pulling out his wallet in this particular neighborhood. “I’m sorry, I don’t.”

“Please, I just want to buy something to eat.”

He was about to respond when Draco moved around him. “I don’t have any change ma’am, but I do have some food in here. It’s only what was left from my dinner, but you may have it if you like.”

The woman grinned and took the box from Draco. “Thank you young man. You are very kind. Have a Happy Christmas.”

Draco nodded and pulled a still gaping Harry behind him as they continued walking. “Did I just witness Draco Malfoy willingly give his food to a homeless woman?”

“I despise leftovers.”

Harry hid his smile behind his hand and let it drop.


End file.
